Zeeland is one of my favourite parts of the world. If you like the boat culture, open waters, pristine beaches and freshly caught seafood (from the fishing boats, of course), this southern area of the Netherlands should be on your bucket list

Day 1 Rotterdam to Middleharnis 1 lock 51kms

On leaving the Veerhaven it is mandatory to report into port operations, stating your intended destination. Rotterdam is the biggest harbour in Europe, so not just anyone can blunder through. Not much traffic to concern us , though we were asked by the port authority to pass a big ship starboard to starboard instead of the usual port to port.

Normally the lock into the harbour at Middleharnis is open, but due to the rain over the past few days, there was a threat of flooding, so the lock was closed to regulate the flow of water. Remember that large parts of Zeeland are below water level. The province is a river delta situated at the mouth of several major rivers namely the Schelde, the Rhine and the Meuse. Having travelled along these rivers in the past 6 months we were now at their final destination and of course nearly at ours. The coat of arms for Zeeland is a lion half submerged in water with the text in latin that translates to ‘I struggle and emerge’.

After the divesting North Sea floods of 1953, in which 1800 people lost their lives, the protective Delta Works were constructed. But talking to the locals, they are not concerned so much with flooding from the sea, but rather flooding from the large rivers in Europe. This year were have seen flooding of the Meuse and both the Moselle and Saar, which led to flooding of the Rhine.

Middleharnis’s claim to fame is a long shopping street with was built along the top of the old dike. Yes we did investigate but nothing made it into our bags to be taken home.

Day 2 Middleharnis to Willemstad 21kms

We reached Willemstad just in time for both monument day and their water sports weekend festival

The fortified town of Willemstad was named by Prince Mauritius in honour of his father, Willem of Orange (1533- 1584). Now for any of you history buffs, this is not the William of Orange (1650-1702) who became King of England in 1689, though that William was a descendant of this William of Orange. In the Netherlands Prince Mauritius’s father is known as Willem the Silent and Father of the Fatherland. Although he originally served as a member of the Spanish court in the Netherlands he turned against his former masters and was a leader in the Dutch revolt against the Spanish. He built the fortifications at Willemstad as part of his battle plans. His son Prince Mauritius, succeed his father as Prince of Orange and stadholder. He was also a strong military leader, who won several victories against the Spanish. He was also a heavy drinker and although he never married, he had several children with different partners.

Monument Day 14- 15th September

Each year on the second weekend in September a huge number of monuments throughout the Netherlands are opened to the public free of charge. Besides opening their doors many locations host exhibitions, live music and guided tours.

A busy weekend in Willemstad

Day 4 Willemstad to Sint Annaland 2 locks 33kms

Not much to report on our next stop. Friendly harbour with a good fish restaurant.

Day 5 St. Annaland to Goes 1 lock 3 bridges 31kms

The pretty port of Goes is at the end of a canal. To get there you pass through a lock and under 3 lifting bridges. The second and third bridge are only opened at selected times, namely 9-11am and then at 4pm. That means a long wait until you eventually moor up in the port. But it’s not a great hardship, as there is a waiting pontoon next to a supermarket and a large hardware store.

Although Goes was fortified by Prince Maurice during the Eighty Year war, unlike Willemstad the town walls are in disrepair.

We had 2 churches to visit, sitting opposite one another, and both called the Mary Magdalene church. Then first church, although originally built as a Roman Catholic Church in the 15th century, became a Protestant church in 1578. the Roman Catholic Church opposite was built in 1905. The inscription above the portal states that ‘This is the house of God and the gate of heaven’. If that’s not a direct dig at the Church across the road, I don’t know what is!

On our last night in Goes we were invited for drinks to the home of a couple we meet in Dortrecht. A great advantage of cruising in Europe is not only the places you visit but the new friendships that come your way.

Day 7 Goes to Yerseke 1 lock 3 bridges 15kms

Yerseke is a fishing village, where they cultivate oysters in pits between the town on one side and the open waters of the Oostershelde on the other. So it was time to sample some of the local cuisine.

There were a number of establishments to choose from, and we were informed by the harbour master that they were all good!

Well fortified for our next journey, our departure the next day was delayed. A huge barge was blocking the entrance to the port, working on removing some pylons. Despite their reassurances that they would move soon, we didn’t get away until 1.30pm. We had a long journey ahead of us through the busy port of Antwerp. Just as well we ate all those oysters the previous night!

Day 8 Yerseke to Antwerp 2 locks 2 bridges 55km

The port of Antwerp is very well monitored. When you first enter the port, which we did in 2019 you are issued with a registration number which is yours for life. Every time you enter the port you must quote this number. The port is divided into sections with different VHS channels, and again you must report into each section and of course keep a keen lookout at all times.

We had now left Zeeland and the Netherlands behind us, and we were back in Belgium. Not that you note very much difference, as they still speak Dutch in this part of Belgium. The next part of our voyage was to take us up the tidal Schelde and as high tide at Antwerp was 6.30am, we decided to wait a few days until high tide was at 8.30am, a much more civilised hour to leave the port and ride the flood tide up to Ghent.